Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks

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Episode 159: The Killer Eye/Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt (with Katie Rife)

2026-03-1301:15:27

This week, we're checking out the double feature of KILLER EYE and KILLER EYE: HALLOWEEN HAUNT, and for at least one of our intrepid hosts, we may have hit the bottom of the barrel. Luckily, we're joined by film critic extraordinaire Katie Rife, who helps us wade through the bizarrely indifferent muck of these two sexploitation films. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Magic in the Mirror/Magic In The Mirror: Fowl Play

Episode 158: Teen Sorcery (with Becky Darke)

2026-03-0601:09:56

We're back talking about latter-day Moonbeam movies, when Canadian/Romanian concern Canarom took over the brand, and this time we're focusing on some teens conducting some sorcery in, appropriately enough, TEEN SORCERY! Becky Darke is officially anointed a Freaky on her third appearance as we talk 90s fashions, CGI dragons and of course Ernest Borgnine. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: The Killer Eye/Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt

Episode 157: Dark Walker (with Brian W. Smith)

2026-02-2754:41

An ancient evil wreaks havoc on a smalltown amusement park in Danny Draven's 2003 indie DARK WALKER! Made for just about $15,000, the movie has the scrappy mentality of a fun side project with friends, but how does it hold up? We'll get into it with returning guest Brian W. Smith! Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Teen Sorcery

BONUS: Episode 156: Ragdoll (with Movie Dumpster)

2026-02-2401:06:56

The boys at the Movie Dumpster podcast have very graciously agreed to let us run an episode from their show on which Jarrod and Steve guested to discuss RAGDOLL! This 1999 film kicked off the Alchemy/Big City Pictures sublabel, and before now we had only discussed it on the MD feed. Now, it's here for your listening enjoyment! Please be sure to check out the amazing Movie Dumpster podcast and their YouTube channel at @MovieDumpster, and thanks again to Joe and Sean for having us on! Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Darkwalker

Episode 155: Final Stab (with Richard Newby)

2026-02-2058:09

David DeCoteau takes on SCREAM with the rare Full Moon slasher film FINAL STAB! Borrowing elements from pop slashers of the time, as well as older movies like APRIL FOOLS DAY, this flick pits a bunch of savvy twentysomethings against a masked killer. We're joined once again by the great Richard Newby, who helps us try to unravel and make sense of the film's many twists. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Dark Walker

Episode 154: The Vault (with Xero Gravity)

2026-02-1301:00:07

NYC horror icon and FANGORIA cover model Xero Gravity is back to help us crack open THE VAULT, a 2001 haunted house thriller from Big City Pictures! We have a fascinating discussion about the overuse of slavery images in black-led horror films, and chart the rise and fall of Alchemy/Big City Pictures as the sublabel moves to shut down forever. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Final Stab

Episode 153: Teenage Space Vampires (with Avery Coffey)

2026-02-0657:27

Space vampires invade a small Romanian... sorry, Californian town, and Moonbeam struggles to find its footing in the Kushner-Locke era, in TEENAGE SPACE VAMPIRES from 1998! We're joined this week by New York horror icon Avery Coffey, who helps us break down the baffling production decisions and impossibly terrible sound editing of this odd little tween flick. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: The Vault

Episode 152: Puppet Master: The Legacy / Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys (with Nat Brehmer)

2026-01-3001:22:16

The PUPPET MASTER series hits an inflection point this week as we cover the 2003 compilation film PUPPET MASTER: THE LEGACY and the 2004 made-for-Sci Fi-channel crossover PUPPET MASTER VS. DEMONIC TOYS! PM expert and author Nat Brehmer returns once again to lend his expertise to two of the most anomalous entries in the series to date as the franchise tries to reclaim its identity. Plus, tons of talk about Corey Feldman! Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Teenage Space Vampires

Episode 151: Valet Girls (with Erin Dawn)

2026-01-2301:06:41

Park it, mister! This week, Erin Dawn of the Manic Movie Monday podcast returns to help us tackle the sweetly sleazy, deeply 80's showbiz satire VALET GIRLS! By all appearances a dumb T&A comedy, this movie managed to surprise us by having a lot more going on under the hood than it's lowbrow premise suggests, and we had a ball digging into it. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Puppet Master Legacy/Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys

Episode 150: Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong (with Mary Beth McAndrews)

2026-01-1659:37

For our 150th episode extravaganza, we're bringing together two of Full Moon's signature characters for the crossover event of our lifetime: GINGERDEAD MAN VS. EVIL BONG! Writer and filmmaker Mary Beth McAndrews joins us for this crusty and stoney horror comedy that dares you to ask the question: huh? Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Valet Girls

Episode 149: Ghost Warrior (with Alex Ayling)

2026-01-0959:20

A 16th-century samurai is frozen and awakens in 1980s Los Angeles in GHOST WARRIOR (aka SWORDKILL), a fun and strangely beautiful Empire actioner! Alex Ayling of the Mates From Hell and Evolution of Horror is back to help us unpack this semi-lost treat, which features the sole American film performance from Japanese TV star Hiroshi Fujioka. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong

Episode 148: The Alchemist (with Scott Weinberg)

2026-01-0201:07:47

Critic and podcaster Scott Weinberg joins the prestigious three-timers club as we roll the clock back to the early 1980s for THE ALCHEMIST! This long-shelved supernatural thriller had a troubled production and struggles from a decided lack of energy, but it gives us the opportunity to talk about a few weird pockets of early 80s B-cinema, including the late-career action turn of Robert Ginty and other deliriously weird rabbit holes. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Ghost Warrior

Episode 147: Walking the Edge (with Caroline Johnson)

2025-12-2601:13:20

Get ready for some good old-fashioned early-80s grime with the violent revenge thriller WALKING THE EDGE! The amazing Caroline Johnson from Terror Terroir joins us to wade through this gleefully sleazy Robert Forster/Nancy Kwan/Joe Spinell vehicle, and helps us find the perfect wine pairing for the occasion. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: The Alchemist

Episode 146: BONUS: A Tribute to Special Features (with Michael Felsher)

2025-12-2301:07:391

We're going on a bit of a side quest this week, because why not? For this special bonus episode, we sit down with Michael Felsher from Red Shirt Pictures, which produces documentaries and bonus features for DVDs! We nerd out with Michael about how he got into the industry, some of our favorite DVD extras, and some of his favorite Empire projects. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Walking the Edge

Episode 145: Petticoat Planet (with Kolleen Carney-Hoepfner)

2025-12-1901:03:16

Saddle up, cowgirls, because we're heading off to the distant and sexy world of PETTICOAT PLANET, one of the last true Torchlight films. Kolleen Carney-Hoepfner is back to talk about this erotic journey into the old west of outer space (it's complicated), and why this might be one of the most fun movies in the Torchlight canon. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Walking the Edge

Episode 144: Filmgore (with John Collins)

2025-12-1201:14:44

Author John Collins joins this week for a little slice of deep film history. FILMGORE is part of a nearly-dead genre of compilation films, in this case splicing together the goriest scenes from movies like BLOOD FEAST, DRILLER KILLER and THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE into bite-sized chunks, all hosted by yours cruelly, Elvira Mistress of the Dark! We get to talk about some fascinating little pockets of film history here, from the early home video boom to the career of the Wizard of Gore himself, Herschel Gordon Lewis. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Petticoat Planet

Episode 143: Ooga Booga (with Rigo Garay)

2025-12-0501:11:06

We're ripping the band-aid with this one, folks. This week is all about the... let's say racially insensitive killer doll movie OOGA BOOGA, a riff on the classic "Trilogy of Terror" sequence that feels deeply out of place in 2013. It's a bit of a tough sit for your well-meaning hosts, but it was made much more enjoyable thanks to our special guest, actor and writer Rigo Garay, who lends his wit and perspective to an otherwise pretty unpleasant film. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Filmgore

Episode 142: Doll Graveyard / Dangerous Worry Dolls (with Martin Monster)

2025-11-2801:14:10

This week, multi-thousand-year-old creature from beneath the streets of Brooklyn Martin Monster joins us for a double-dose (or is that doll-ble dose?) of tiny action with DOLL GRAVEYARD and DANGEROUS WORRY DOLLS! The former is a noble attempt to relaunch Full Moon with a new line of killer toys, while the latter is truly one of the strangest films we've covered on this show, a latter-day women-in-prison movie with some standout performances and a good amount of ick. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Ooga Booga

Episode 141: Skull Heads (with Diana Goodman)

2025-11-2101:12:27

A new generation of tiny terrors stalks an old Italian castle and the weirdos that reside within in 2009's SKULL HEADS! We're joined this week by the great Diana Goodman of the Thirty Twenty Ten podcast for the prurient thrills of this dysfunctional family drama, featuring a standout turn from the Queen of Full Moon Robin Sydney! Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Theme song by Kyle Hornbeck Logo by Doug McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Doll Graveyard / Dangerous Worry Dolls

Episode 140: Dr. Moreau's House of Pain (with Brennan Patrick)

2025-11-1401:11:00

HG Wells' classic sci-fi story gets a pseudo-sequel, and Charles Band goes back to shooting on film with DR. MOREAU'S HOUSE OF PAIN! Austin-based actor Brennan Patrick joins us for a discussion of this odd little movie which served as something of a last gasp of the classic era of Full Moon before the Evil Bongs and Gingerdead Men starting running the joint. Hosted by Jarrod Hornbeck and Steve Guntli Logo by Douglas McCambridge Email: puppetmasterscastlefreaks@gmail.com Instagram/Threads: @puppetmasters_castlefreaks YouTube: @PuppetMastersCastleFreaks Next week's episode: Skullheads

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